Mozel Sanders Foundation prepares to serve 10,000 Thanksgiving meals
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Mozel Sanders Foundation is not just about serving food, it’s about bringing hope to the community.
This year, the foundation is hoping to continue the legacy with the help of volunteers, commercial kitchens, and walk-in locations.
For more than five decades, the Mozel Sanders Foundation has been at the heart of Indianapolis, ensuring no one goes hungry on Thanksgiving.
Next week, the foundation is serving 10,000 meals across Indianapolis with the help of commercial kitchen partners and walk-in meal locations. But they still need volunteers to help at two new locations: P30 and Ivy Tech.
“50 volunteers at P30, and I need about 100 volunteers or so at Ivy Tech,” Sanders said.
Volunteers are needed as early as Monday at the Ivy Tech location. They will start cooking meals the day before Thanksgiving with some locations starting to cook the morning of.
Sanders said there’s a lot of things volunteers can help do.
“Opening cans, opening boxes, opening boxes to put meals in, cooking of course, staging, and assembly line type things,” Sanders said. “And we need some leaders. If you have any chef experience, please come out. We work in convection ovens and a bunch of other things. So, we need anybody’s help.”
People can pick up their meals at the walk-in locations starting at 9 a.m. One location will allow people to sit down.
“Tabernacle Presbyterian. If you would like to sit down and have more of a homestyle Thanksgiving meal, they will allow you to stay there and eat,” Sanders said. “They have their own dessert, or if you want to take it, you’re allowed to take it and go home.”
For Sanders, continuing his family legacy by helping the Indianapolis community is an honor.
“This doesn’t happen without the community,” Sanders said. “The money is raised yearly, and without the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana, we wouldn’t be able to put this on this year.”
Sanders says the foundation is still raising funds to make the event possible.
“We need about $12,000 more dollars, but as far as the volunteers are concerned, we’re doing good,” Sanders said.
Kitchens that will prepare the meals include:
- Tabernacle Presbyterian Church – 418 E .34th St.
- Friendship Baptist Church – 1301 N. Goodlet Ave.
- Roberts Park United Methodist Church – 401 N. Delaware St.
- P30 – 3039 N. Post Rd.
- Ivy Tech Culinary – 50 W. Fall Creek Pkwy N. Dr.
Locations where you can pick up meals on Thanksgiving Day. Meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tabernacle Presbyterian Church is the only location where you can have a sit-down meal.
- Augusta Church – 3445 W. 71st St.
- Christ Community Church – 2122 N. Keystone Ave.
- Fall Creek Church – 380 Fall Creek Pkwy.
- First Baptist Church – 880 W. 28th St.
- First Christian Church – 1145 E. Washington St.
- Friendship Baptist Church – 1301 N. Goodlet Ave.
- Greater St James – 3101 E. Raymond St.
- Jesus House – 3402 N. Schofield Ave.
- Kingsley Terrace – 2103 E. 30th St.
- Mt Olive – 1003 W. 16th St.
- Mt. Vernon Community Missionary Baptist Church – 709 N. Belmont Ave.
- Mt Zion – 3500 Graceland Ave.
- Resurrection Church – 2502 E. 38th St.
- Roberts Park UMC – 401 N. Delaware St.
- Tabernacle Presbyterian Church – 418 E. 34th St.
- Trinity Missionary Baptist Church – 3170 Baltimore Ave.
- 25 Baptist Church – 525 W. 25th St.
For those looking to contribute, the Foundation offers several ways to get involved. Donations can be made online at mozelsanders.org, via text by sending “Mozel” to 53555, through Cash App using $MozelSanders, or by calling 317-636-7985. A $20 donation can feed a family of four.
WISH-TV is proud to partner with the Mozel Sanders Foundation to support its mission. For more information, visit mozelsanders.org.